Distributor



A. L. BROWNLEE DISTRIBUTOR Jan. 6, 194s.

Filed May 25, 1945 'umumw INVENTOR Jur/v Bmw/urz Patented Jan. 6, 1948ms'ramu'roa Allen L. Brownlee. West Springileld, Mass., as-

signor to Wico Electric Company, West Spring-A eld, Mass., a corporationof Massachusetts yApplication: May 3, 1946, Serial No. 666,922

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-25) The invention relates to improvements indistributors havingy provisions for automatically shifting from aretarded to an advanced spark accordingly as the speed of the rotor ofthe distributor is respectively below lor above a prede termined value.

The inventionv is particularly useful in a distributor which also servesas a timer, such for example as is usedy in the breakerless ignitionsystem disclosed in the copending application of Kenneth A. Harmon andAllen L. Brownlee, filed December 7, 1944, under .Serial No. 567,092,and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The invention has for an.; object the provision on the rotor of thedistributor of two contacts, one set somewhat ahead of the other withrespect to the direction of rotation of the rotor and both adapted tosuccessively engage the fixed contacts of the distributor, together withcurrent supply connections to both contacts on' the rotor and aspeed-responsive switch carried by the rotor and interposed in theconnections to the leading contact on the rotor, said switch beingoperable to interrupt said connections until the rotor attains apredetermined speed when the switch closes and allows current to besupplied to the leading contact.

The invention will be-disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a, fragmentary sectional elevational view of an ignitionapparatus showing a distributor embodying the invention; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 2-2 and 3--3of Fig.'1, respectively.

Referring to these drawings; there is shown in Fig. 1 a casing I and acover 2 which together form a housing for the distributor. This housing,which is shown only in part, may also contain other elements of anignition system, which may for example be of the kind disclosed in theabove identified application. There is a driving shaft 3, adapted to bedriven in timed relation with the engine served by the distributor andcarrying the rotor 4 thereof. This shaft is rotatably supported in anysuitable way, as indicated in part by the ball bearing 5 fixed in amember 6 of the casing. Also fixed in the casing is a disk 1, which ismade of suitable insulating material and carries a circular series ofcontacts 8, suitably fixed thereto, as indicated. This disk is held inplace by cover 2, as indicated. In the cover, is a disk 9 of insulatingmaterial, carrying a circular series of terminals lo, one for andlocated opposite each contact 8. A spring II, connected to each contactas indicated, engages the adjacent terminal Io. These terminals Ill areadapted for connection to the distribution wires ln the usual or anysuitable manner (not shown).

The distributor rotor 4, as herein shown, is mounted tomove toward thedisk 1. It has fixed centrally therein a metallic sleeve I2 having arotor in any suitable way are three brushes I1,

which may for example be of carbon graphite and. which ride on thecontact-bearing face I8 of disk 1 as a track-being pressed thereagainstby the spring I4. The rotor 4 carries contacts I9 and 20, suitably fixedthereto as indicated. The engagement of these brushes with the trackserves to position the outer and contacting end face of each of thecontacts I9 and 20 in the same plane in' which the contacting face ofeach of the fixed contacts 8 lie. This particular mounting of thedistributor rotor forms the subject matter-of a `lcopending applicationof Kenneth A. Harmon flled'on Leven date herewith, -under Serial No.667,069, and -assigned to the assignee of the present application. Othermountings of the distributor rotor may be used, if desired, as theinvention is independent of the'particular mounting used-that shownbeing an illustrative example .of one form which is desirable andpreferred when the distributor is used for-timing purposes as in anignition system of the type shown in the first-named pendingapplication.

The electrical supply to the distributor lrotor may likewise take anysuitable form. As'shown in Fig. 2, the rotor carries on its rear face acollector ring-2i suitably xedthereto as by a series of rivets 22.Engaged with this ring (Fig. l) is a brush 23, mounted in the outer endof a springpressed metallic plunger 24, which is slidably mounted inafguide 25. This guide is xed to a support 26 of insulating material.mounted in casing I. The plunger is connected in any suitable way (notshown) to the electrical supply.

The contacts I9 and 20 (Fig. 3) are mounted in angularly-spaced relationon the front face of rotor 4 and project toward the contacts 8.ondisk 1. The contact 20 is set in advance of contact I9 with respect tothe direction of rotation of the rotor 4. 'I'he contact 20 is sopositioned that it engages each contact 8 at the proper time for anadvanced spark for normal running speeds of y2 and 3) is connected tothe collector ring 2i by means which include a speed-responsive switch.

This switch may, for example, consist of a flat,

spring 28, fixed at one end to a portion of the peripheral wall of therotor, as by two screws 30, and bearing at its other end a weight 3| anda switch contact 32. A cooperating switch contact 33 is carried by theinner end of a screw 3L which is threaded into and extends through aprojection 35 on said peripheral wall and is held in its variouspositions of adjustment by a lock nut 36. Conductors 31 and 38 which maybe thin brass strips, electrically connect the collector ring 2i to theswitch contacts 32 and 33, respectively. As shown, the inner ends ofeach of the strips 31 and 38 underlie and are engaged by the ring 2|.The outer end of strip 31 underlies the iixed end of spring 29 andisheld thereto by screws 3l. The outer end of strip 38 underlies thelock nut 36 and is clamped thereby to the projection 35.

VIn operation, when the rotor 4 is stationary, the switch contacts 32and 33 are spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 2. Consequently. the leadingdistributor contact 28 is disconnected from the electrical supply andcannot function, when it engages the fixed contacts 8, to time ordistribute electrical, spark-producing charges. The trailing contact i9then acts and serves, when it engages the xed contacts 8, to time anddistribute electrical charges to produce late or retarded ignitionsparks. When, however, the rotor I acquires a predetermined speed, theweight 3| is moved outwardly by centrifugal force, defiecting outwardlythe'outer end of switch arm 23 and carrying the switch contact 32 intoengagement with the switch contact 33. The engagement of these switchcontacts closes the'connection Ybetween ring 2l and the leadingdistributor contact 2l so that the latter, when it engages the xedcontacts 8, times and distributes electrical charges to produce ignitionsparks for normal advance running speeds of the engine. 'I'lie ensuingengagement of contact I9 with the contacts 3 will cause no ignitionsparks because there are no means active at such times to produceelectrical charges. As one speciiic illustration, in the ignition systemof the first-named copending application, a capacitor is graduallycharged and then instantaneously discharged by and when the movabledistributor contact engages a nxed contact 8. If thfe capacitor isdischarged by the engagement of the leading distributor contact 28 witha fixed contact 8, then the engagement of the contact I8 with the samecontact 3 will occur so soon afterward that there will not be time forthe capacitor to become charged.

I claim:

1. A rotor for a distributor, having two contacts set one in advance ofthe other in the direction of rotation of the rotor and a conductor towhich. current is adapted to be supplied, circuit connections betweensaid conductor and each contact, and a speed-responsive switch in thecircuit connections to the leading contact, said switch operable toclose only after the rotor has acquired a predetermined speed.

2. In a distributor, a circular series of fixed contacts, a rotor, twocontacts carried by the rotor one slightly in advance of the other inthe direction of rotation of the rotor and each adapted to successivelyengage the contacts of said series, relatively-rotatable brush andcontact elements for conducting current to the rotor, the rotatable oneof said elements being carried by the rotor.' an electrical connectionbetween the element on said arm and the rearward contact on said arm, aspeed-responsive switch carried by the rotor and operable to close onlyafter the rotor attains a predetermined speed, and electricalconnections one between the element on said arm and one terminal of saidswitch and another from the terminal of said switch'to the forwardcontact on the arm.

3. A rotor for a distributor, having'two contacts set one in advance ofthe other in the direction of rotation and a conductor to which currentis adapted to be supplied, circuit connections between said conductorand each contact, and a speed-responsive switch in the circuitconnections to the leading contact; said switch including a A leafspring, fixed at one end to the rotor and carrying near its other end aswitch contact and a weight, and a xed switch contact on said rotorspaced from the other switch contact when the rotor is at rest andadapted to be engaged by the other switch contact when, during rotationof the rotor, said weight is moved by centrifugal force to flex saidspring sufiiciently for the purpose.

ALLEN L. BROWNLEE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'rs Name Date Laycock Mar. 23,1920 Number

